Cottage Pie Recipe

This is a classic British cottage pie recipe from BBC Good Food, serving 10 people.

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Serves: 10

Ingredients

For the Meat Filling

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1.25 kg beef mince
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• Large glass of red wine (optional)
• 850 ml beef stock
• 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Few thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves

For the Mash Topping

• 1.8 kg potatoes, chopped
• 225 ml milk
• 25 g butter
• 200 g strong cheddar cheese, grated
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Method Summary

1. Brown the beef mince1.25 kg beef mince in batches and set aside
2. Sauté onions2 onions, finely chopped, carrots3 carrots, chopped, and celery3 celery sticks, chopped until soft (~20 mins)
3. Add garlic2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, flour3 tbsp plain flour, and tomato purée1 tbsp tomato purée; increase heat
4. Return beef to pan and add wine (if using), stock, Worcestershire sauce4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, herbs
5. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes until gravy thickens; season and remove herbs
6. Meanwhile, boil potatoes1.8 kg potatoes, chopped until tender
7. Drain and steam-dry potatoes1.8 kg potatoes, chopped, then mash with milk225 ml milk, butter25 g butter, and 3/4 of the cheese; season with nutmeg
8. Spoon meat into ovenproof dishes and top with mash; sprinkle remaining cheese
9. Bake at 200°C for 25-30 minutes until golden

Storage & Freezing

Freezing: Assemble through step 8, cool completely, wrap well, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge before cooking. Alternatively, cook from frozen at 160°C covered with foil for 1.5 hours, then increase to 200°C uncovered for 20 minutes.

Refrigerator: Can be kept for 2-3 days after cooking